Updated 3.3.2025

Summary: On Day 1, President Trump waged his war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices by issuing executive orders to ban it within the federal government and entities funded with federal dollars. Donald Trump’s attacks on DEI undermine progress, perpetuates inequality, and harms communities across the nation. These policies, which have been instrumental in fostering opportunity and fairness, now face the threat of being dismantled, jeopardizing the futures of countless individuals. His efforts to roll back these initiatives will particularly hurt marginalized groups, stalling the work of building a more just and inclusive society. 

This toolkit includes messaging, content and resources to support those affected, amplify their voices, and equip advocates to stand up for policies that promote equality and opportunity for all.

Main Talking Points

• Trump’s attack on DEI is a political tactic used to divide us.
• Billionaires want to reverse the progress we’ve made towards an economy that works for all of us.
• We need to protect our freedom by ensuring free speech and equitable education in Ohio schools.

Messaging Guidance

• No matter what we look like or where we come from, America should work for all of us. But MAGA Republicans and their billionaire backers want to drag us back to a time when the wealthy called all the shots. They hope to seize greater power and money by spreading lies about the progress we have made to ensure we have an American economy that works for all. We see through their efforts to divide and distract us and we demand that our civil servants reflect and represent every kind of American, no exceptions.

• DEI policies create a level playing field where every individual, regardless of background, can thrive. Protecting these policies ensure every voice is heard, every opportunity is possible, and every community gets a seat at the table.

• Standing up for DEI means standing up for fairness and dignity for all people. Let’s protect policies that ensure all voices are amplified, that biases are challenged, and that every individual can succeed on their own terms.

• When we ensure that every person has the resources and opportunities to succeed, we all benefit. Protecting DEI policies means creating a society where everyone, no matter their background, can reach their full potential.

• Inclusive policies aren’t just good for people, they’re good for business and the economy. When we embrace diversity and foster equal opportunities, we unlock untapped potential, fueling economic growth and innovation. DEI policies are key to a thriving economy.
• For religious and people of faith: In America, we celebrate our differences and respect each other’s freedom to worship who they choose. But Trump’s attacks on DEI make it harder for Americans to express our beliefs, leaving us open to discrimination at our schools and the workplace.

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Messaging DO’s and DONT’s

✅DOs	❌DONTs
✅Frame Trump’s attack on DEI as a “political tactic used to divide us”	❌Legitimize Trump’s attack by conceding points or suggesting DEI is flawed.
✅Lead with values like “freedom”, “equality”, and “respect for all Americans”.	❌Use defensive or reactive language that reinforces opposition talking points. (e.g., “DEI is not to blame”).
✅Name the culprits—MAGA Republicans and billionaire backers—and their motivations.	❌Allow blame to be deflected or framed as just a difference of opinion. “DEI staff are just trying to do good”.
✅Highlight past victories to inspire hope and show progress through unity.	❌Focus only on setbacks, which can lead to discouragement and inaction. Let them set the agenda by reacting separately to each attack.
✅Frame DEI as a shared American value that benefits everyone.	❌use technical jargon or bureaucratic language that lacks appeal. Such as “affirmative action”.
✅ Call DEI programs a form of free speech	❌Accept the censorship of DEI programs or concede that some should be banned.
✅Close with a vision for a better future where America respects and includes all. Reinforce the power of collective action.	❌End on a negative note or suggest the fight is unwinnable.
✅Use unifying language that brings people together across race, gender, and background.	❌Frame DEI as a niche issue rather than part of a broader struggle for justice and democracy.
✅Call out harm and consequences of MAGA policies, like silencing and firing civil servants.	❌Focus on individuals instead of exposing the systemic agenda behind these attacks.
✅Reiterate that America moves forward through inclusion, not exclusion.	❌Ignore the economic forces behind these attacks—expose how they benefit the wealthy few.

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TAKE ACTION

• Defend Every Student’s Right to Learn
• ADD YOUR NAME: Demand Protections for Civil Rights and DEI Initiatives

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Content: Protect and Defend Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit Content

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Navigator Poll: Americans are Concerned By Elected Officials Using “Wokeness” as a Distraction

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Resources

• Views of DEI have become slightly more negative among U.S. workers
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace
• Trump’s Attacks on DEI Reveal Administration’s Agenda for Second Term
• From Resistance to Results: The Executive Playbook for Leading Through DEI Backlash
• Views of DEI in the workplace vary along demographic and partisan lines
• Liberty and Justice for All: Confronting MAGA’s Anti-DEI Efforts to Resegregate Our Country
• What Students Lose When School Becomes a Political Battleground
• DEI and Accessibility, Explained
• Why and How to Protect DEI
• Why politicians keep blaming ‘DEI’ for disasters

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Ohio SB 1

• Honesty for Ohio Education toolkit
• Ohio Senate reintroduced as Senate Bill 1
• Ohio’s Education Unions Call for Amendments to SB 1
• Ohio SB 1 Messages For Protest Signs and Social Media Graphics
• Stop Senate Bill 1: The Higher Education Destruction Act

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Companies that have abandoned or rolled back their commitments or programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion:

• Accenture
• Amazon
• Boeing
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Brown-Forman
• Caterpillar
• Disney
• Ford
• Goldman Sachs
• Google
• Harley-Davidson
• John Deere
• Lowe’s
• Molson Coors
• McDonald’s
• Meta
• Nissan
• PBS
• Stanley Black & Decker
• Target
• Tractor Supply
• Toyota
• Walmart

Companies that have publicly defended their diversity, equity and inclusion policies:

• American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines
• Apple
• Cisco
• Costco
• Delta
• JPMorgan Chase
• McKinsey & Company
• Microsoft
• Nasdaq
• NFL
• Pinterest
• Salesforce

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National News and Updates

• A group of Democrats is calling on the Department of Education to rescind threats of defunding schools with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
• Public schools across the country, from pre-K to higher education, may now be at risk of losing federal funding if they refuse to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, following a deadline set by the Trump administration.
• A federal judge blocked sweeping executive orders from President Donald Trump that seek to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Two anti-DEI executive orders:
  • The first executive order largely scraps the DEI efforts that took place under Joe Biden, who had ordered all federal agencies to come up with equity plans. It terminates all “mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities in the federal government” that the Trump administration considers “illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility’ (DEIA) programs”.
  • A second executive order broadly ends any DEI activities within the federal government. This order overturns a handful of executive orders from past presidents, including one from Lyndon B Johnson that was signed during the civil rights era and required federal contractors to adopt equal opportunity measures.

Ohio News and Updates

• Ohio State University announced it was closing two offices devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion work on Friday (2.28.25) to comply with executive orders from President Donald Trump and a bill working through the state legislature. 16 positions eliminated.
• The elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs led Ohio State students to protest at the student union less than 24 hours after President Ted Carter announced the changes.
• The University of Cincinnati plans to dismantle its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, also known as DEI, by the end of February to comply with Trump administration directives, according to a statement from the school.

The House narrowly passed a multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint Tuesday (2.25.25), 217-215, with only Republican support. However, the process remains complex, as the House and Senate must agree on a resolution before crafting a party-line bill.

Summary: House Republicans have advanced a budget resolution that paves the way for massive tax cuts for the wealthy— paid for by stripping health care and food assistance that people rely on. The House GOP  plan also calls for $2 trillion in harmful cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and student loan programs while adding $4.5 trillion to the deficit to fund tax breaks for the rich. These cuts are dangerous, threatening the well-being of families and communities.

This toolkit provides essential messaging guidance, key talking points, digital content, and the latest news updates on the dangerous consequences of this budget plan.

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Messaging Guidance

• Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson are only looking out for the special interests that got them elected – while the rest of us foot the bill. We have to come together and take action to stop his tax breaks for the wealthy, cuts to Medicare and Social Security, and risky proposals that will increase costs for middle class families. 
• Donald Trump and Republicans’ tax plans will hurt the middle class and American families. Defunding our education system, cutting food stamps, and cutting healthcare for veterans, seniors in assisted living facilities, and children with disabilities. All at the expense of giving the rich and big corporations massive tax cuts. 
• Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, are slashing programs that American families rely on. They’ve cut money for schools, aid to farmers, and funding for healthcare. At the same time, they’re making it easier for big banks and credit card companies to rip you off. 
• Cutting health care, food assistance, and student loans would not only harm families immediately but also lead to long-term negative impacts. Losing Medicaid means people will go without essential treatments, and cuts to SNAP will lead to increased food insecurity and health challenges for children.
• Student loan cuts make higher education more expensive by increasing loan interest and potentially cutting funding for college grants. This would make it harder for families to afford education, adding more financial burden on students and their families.

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Key Talking Points

• Extreme Giveaway to the Wealthy: The House budget contains over $4 trillion in tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy at the expense of families already struggling with the cost of living. Half the tax benefits in this budget would go to high-income households, while low-income families would bear the brunt of the spending cuts, losing access to essential services like food and health coverage. (CBPP 2/21)

• Massive Cuts to Vital Social Programs: The House plan mandates deep cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, student loans, and school meals. These cuts would directly harm low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities.

• Higher Costs for Families: As a result of the cuts, families would face higher costs for things like healthcare, food, and paying for college.

• Cuts to Essential Services: The House budget proposes cuts to dozens of vital government services such as school funding, medical research, clean air and water protection, and Social Security services.

• Fiscally Irresponsible: Both the House and Senate plans will increase the deficit by trillions.  (NPR)

• Work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP would cause disproportionate harm to the most vulnerable: low-income adults, parents, people with disabilities, and the elderly (CBPP)

• Healthcare access (through Medicaid) and hunger prevention (through SNAP) impact basic human needs. Advocating for these programs is not only about economics but about ensuring that people can live with dignity and security.

• Every district in the country will be affected by these cuts, either directly or through the ripple effect on local healthcare systems, food banks, and community services.

• Instead of cutting services and giving tax cuts to the wealthy, Congress should focus on expanding access to job training, childcare, and educational opportunities as real solutions for helping people move toward stable employment.

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TAKE ACTION

• Suggested script: Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP]. I am calling to demand [REP NAME] to vote NO on any budget that includes cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or SNAP. This proposed budget endangers the health of millions of Americans as well as the fiscal health of our entire nation.
• If leaving a voicemail: Please leave a full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
• Tell House members to oppose cuts to medicare, medicaid, and snap to pay for tax cuts!
  • Balderson: 202-225-5355
  • Beatty: 202-225-4324
  • Brown: 202-225-7032
  • Carey: 202-225-2015
  • Davidson: 202-225-6205
  • Jordan: 202-225-2676
  • Joyce: 202-225-5731
  • Kaptur: 202-225-4146
  • Landsman: 202-225-2216
  • Latta: 202-225-6405
  • Miller: 202-225-3876
  • Rulli: 202-225-5705
  • Sykes: 202-225-6265
  • Taylor: 202-225-3164
  • Turner: 202-225-6465

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Messaging DO’s and DONT’s

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Content: House GOP Budget Proposal Toolkit

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Resources

• House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid to Pay for Expanded Tax Cuts for Wealthy
• Medicaid Enrollment in the U.S., by Congressional District
• Medicaid/CHIP Coverage by Congressional District, 2023
• House Republican Budget Plans Would Cut Social Security Benefits
• Here’s What to Know About Congressional Republicans’ Budget Plans
• Budget Resolution

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Ohio SNAP Impacts (CBPP)

• 12.4% of Ohio households depend on SNAP for food, that’s 1.4 million recipients, including children, living in over 611,000 households at risk of losing some or all benefits.
• Ohio residents receive $3.178 billion in total SNAP benefits annually.
• If this proposal advances, Ohio recipients will lose a total of $7.788 billion in benefits over 10 years.
• 10,100 Ohio retailers are at risk of losing revenue.

Ohio Households Receiving SNAP by Congressional District

District	Representative	Households Receiving SNAP	% of Households
1	Landsman	41016	12.2%
2	Taylor	44366	13.9%
3	Beatty	33971	10.1%
4	Jordan	33441	10.5%
5	Latta	31766	9.8%
6	Rulli	51844	15.6%
7	Miller	22159	7.0%
8	Davidson	29989	9.6%
9	Kaptur	45281	13.5%
10	Turner	43450	12.8%
11	Brown	75389	21.3%
12	Balderson	38988	12.8%
13	Sykes	45546	13.6%
14	Joyce	36945	11.2%
15	Carey	37469	11.6%

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Ohio Medicaid Impacts

• 770,793 Ohioans are enrolled in Medicaid under the expansion program (Group VIII). 
• If Congress reduces the federal funding rate from 90% to a lower rate (closer to the typical 62.5%), Ohio would face billions of dollars in additional costs. 
• The pending state operating budget (HB 96) includes a provision that would immediately end Medicaid coverage for these individuals if the federal share drops below 90%. 
• This means that if the federal funding decreases, hundreds of thousands of low-income Ohioans could lose their health coverage very quickly.

Medicaid Enrollment by Congressional District

Congressional District	Representative	Total Share with Medicaid (Under 65)	Share of Children with Medicaid/CHIP (Under Age 19)	Share of Adults with Medicaid (Ages 19-64)
1	Landsman	15.4%	24.7%	11.5%
2	Taylor	23.0%	38.1%	16.7%
3	Beatty	20.9%	37.7%	14.5%
4	Jordan	15.6%	24.6%	11.8%
5	Latta	15.1%	25.4%	11.0%
6	Rulli	23.1%	35.8%	18.3%
7	Miller	13.2%	22.0%	9.7%
8	Davidson	16.4%	26.8%	11.7%
9	Kaptur	20.4%	32.3%	15.4%
10	Turner	20.6%	34.7%	14.7%
11	Brown	30.3%	51.2%	22.6%
12	Balderson	17.9%	28.4%	13.3%
13	Sykes	22.0%	36.4%	16.5%
14	Joyce	18.5%	30.7%	14.0%
15	Carey	21.0%	35.4%	14.9%

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Senate Budget Proposal

• The Senate bill serves as a backup in case the House fails to pass its version of the bill. 

• Senate Republican leaders want the tax cuts and offsets to pay for them to wait for a second fast-track reconciliation bill, but their budget plan still sets out their broader vision by including massive unspecified cuts and huge tax cuts.

• The Senate bill focuses on border security and defense, increasing military spending by $85 billion annually for four years. It also promotes energy deregulation and continues Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including deportation and stricter border security.  (Reuters)

• Overall, the Senate resolution includes $175 billion for border security and $150 billion for military funding. (NPR) The total cost of the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 budget resolution is $340 billion.

• Importantly, the Senate bill does not include the $4.5 trillion tax cuts that Trump pushed for. Instead, it leaves the tax cuts issue to the House, which is struggling to reconcile the tax cuts with cuts to vital social programs like Medicaid and Social Security. (Reuters)

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News and UPDATES

• The U.S. Senate cleared a stopgap spending bill that will fund the government through the end of September, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump. Trump signed the measure, avoiding a partial government shutdown.
• The House narrowly passed a multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint Tuesday (2.25.25), 217-215, with only Republican support. However, the process remains complex, as the House and Senate must agree on a resolution before crafting a party-line bill.
• Johnson plans to hold a vote Tuesday (2.25.25) on a sweeping budget plan that calls for $2 trillion in cuts over a decade to help pay for tax cuts and new national security spending.
• Trump embraced a House G.O.P. budget and dismissed Senate Republicans’ plans, just hours after he gave conflicting directions to Congress on cuts to social safety net programs.

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Share as many stories and clips as possible on social media. Send them to your friends and family. Don’t assume anyone is following this closely.

Summary: Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan will rip families apart, leave children without parents, and shatter communities across the country. Millions of American families, many with U.S. citizen children, face the threat of separation, while local economies and workplaces will suffer irreparable harm. His attack on birthright citizenship strips citizenship from 5M Americans and seeks to erase 150 years of progress.

This communications document will provide messaging and resources to support those affected, amplify their stories, and equip advocates to fight for compassionate and just solutions.

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Trump’s Executive Orders

• Attempting to repeal birthright citizenship
• Invoking emergency declarations to weaponize the military against immigrants
• Forecasting possible invocation of the Insurrection Act and Alien Enemies Act
• Recommitting to the harmful detention of immigrants
• Seeking expansion of expedited removal
• Expanding harmful local law enforcement entanglement with federal immigration enforcement
• Seeking to punish sanctuary jurisdictions
• Threatening to penalize individuals and defund organizations that help immigrant communities
• Possible restoration or expansion of country-based travel bans
• Separating families and endangering lives by ending parole programs
• Scrutinizing Temporary Protected Status designations
• Continuing to conflate immigrants with criminality
• Complete and total border closure to asylum under racist “invasion” rhetoric
• Systemic jailing of asylum seekers
• Reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” program
• Ending the CBP One App, leaving asylum seekers stranded
• Suspending refugee admissions and resettlement
• Designating gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) to undermine asylum and legal migration

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Messaging Guidance

• The scope of what was announced and on display is more about division and scapegoating than advancing immigration and border solutions. In fact, as we saw during the first Trump term, these policies will fuel more fear, chaos, and cruelty.

• Mass deportations will affect American families and communities. There are millions of mixed status families in America, including more than 5 million US citizens children who have an undocumented parent. Dreamers, and other long established immigrants and workers are at risk of deportation. Deportations will increase labor shortages, increase costs, and slow economic growth.

• The attack on the 14th Amendment isn’t about reforming our immigration policy – they’re pushing to gut 150 years of settled law and hard-won progress by attacking birthright citizenship.

• Trump’s immigration policies are bad for the American people and do not help kitchen table issues like energy costs and groceries – in fact, it will raise those costs.

• By targeting millions of hardworking and long-settled immigrants, Donald Trump threatens to undermine the local communities where they live and destabilize the economies they contribute to across the country.

• Trump’s push to gut 150 years of settled law by attacking birthright citizenship seeks to reshape America’s future by moving this nation backwards.

• America is stronger and better than the bleak and dystopian picture Trump paints for our future. Just as it always has been in this nation, America’s future is strengthened by immigrants.

• We know immigrants and their families add tremendous value to our communities, and they deserve to thrive and live with dignity. We know that standing together across race, income, and national origin makes us all stronger.

• We will protect immigrant communities. Immigrants built America. Immigrants are welcome here.

• Every immigrant deserves to be treated as a human being. Give dreamers a path to citizenship.

• Immigrants deserve to thrive and live with dignity. Remove barriers for non-citizens.

Key message: 

Instead of finding real solutions, Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan rips families apart, leaves children without parents, and is shattering our local economy by removing people who have lived and worked here for decades.

General messaging: 

Donald Trump’s immigration policies fuel division, scapegoating, and cruelty instead of addressing real solutions. 

Attacks on immigrant communities, including mass deportations and undermining birthright citizenship, destabilize families, harm local economies, and raise costs for everyone. Immigrants are an integral part of America’s strength and future. 

We must stand united to protect immigrant families, uphold dignity, and push for real reforms that strengthen communities and ensure opportunity for all. America thrives when we embrace the diversity and contributions of immigrants, not when we turn back the clock on progress.

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Resources

• ACLU Know Your Rights 
• Know Your Rights: What to Do if You Are Arrested or Detained by Immigration
• A Toolkit for Organizations Responding to Mass Worksite Immigration Raids
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• Immigrants’ Rights: What To Do If Stopped
• Know Your Rights Handouts: If ICE Visits a Home, Employer, or Public Space

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Content: Protect Immigrant Communities

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News and Updates

• Trump administration tells U.S. citizen, Columbus law firm employee to ‘self-deport’
• At least 49 international students at Ohio colleges have had visas revoked
• Justice Department can cut funding for legal guidance for people facing deportation, US judge says
• Trump registration requirement carries danger for immigrants who comply, groups warn
• Trump officials are using federal agencies to make life more difficult for undocumented immigrants

Summary: On the night of Monday, January 27, President Donald Trump’s Office of Budge Management ordered all federal agencies to stop federal spending for grants, aid, and loans on Tuesday, January 28th at 5pm EST. The move would impact access to SNAP benefits, school lunches, seniors’ “meals on wheels, veteran loan programs, head start, and other programs that receive federal funding. Programs that Americans every day depend on and these cuts will be felt in every community. On Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge overturned the cuts temporarily.

Messaging Guidance:

• Name the real world impacts of the cuts, rather than focusing on policy jargon or the violation of norms
• Focus on cuts to healthcare/Medicaid, preschool/childcare, and services for seniors
• Use “cut” or “take away” rather than “spending pause” or “freeze” or any other language that implies this attack is temporary.

Sample Messages:

Donald Trump says he’s working for us, but his order to slash programs that American families rely on shows he’s actually just doing the bidding of the billionaires who got him elected. His plan would cut Medicaid, force preschools to close, and end services for seniors and veterans.  Trump’s robbing us so he can give the wealthy and big corporations even more tax breaks.  

Donald Trump just issued an order that will immediately stop funding for programs that American families and seniors rely on for healthcare, preschool, and education. Trump is looking out for the wealthy and special interests, not for us.

Donald Trump cutting essential services is chaotic and lawless. Congress approved these investments because they work. They are not optional, they are the law. These grants help communities in red states and blue states and support families, help Ohio parents raise kids, and lead to stronger communities.

Do’s and Don’ts – Provided by Navigator:

Updated 2.19.2025

Summary: Trump’s proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education is a direct threat to public schools, students, parents, and educators nationwide. The Department manages approximately $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt, oversees implementation and enforcement of the nation’s special education law, and administers Title I, the main federal program aimed at improving outcomes for lower-income students. 

66% of Americans want to keep or expand the U.S. Department of Education, only 17% supporting eliminating.

This toolkit provides essential messaging guidance, key talking points, digital content, and the latest news updates on the dangerous consequences of Trump’s plan. 

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Main Message

• Our students deserve more resources, more protections, and more opportunities – not less

Guidance

1. Keep It Big Picture: Talk about gutting public education or shutting down the Department of Education instead of talking about “reduced funding”.
2. Be Specific About the Cuts: Abolishing the Department of Education means firing American teachers, larger classroom sizes, more dilapidated schools, and cuts to special education; and
3. Explain Why the Cuts Are Happening: Donald Trump and the Republicans are gutting public education to pay for tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk.

Messaging Examples

• We all want to raise our children in a nation that values their education and provides for every child’s unique needs. The U.S. Department of Education helps to ensure that by providing valuable oversight and funding for our local public schools. If enacted, Trump’s plan would undermine education, stifle inclusion, and compromise the nation’s ability to address real-world issues.
• Trump’s plan to remove federal education oversight disproportionately affects our most vulnerable students. Leaving 815,000 low-income and 270,000 students with disabilities in Ohio without the support they need to succeed.
• Approximately 90% of students in Ohio—and 95% of students with disabilities—learn in our public schools. Eliminating the US Department of Education is equivalent to giving up on our future. Our students need more opportunities, more resources, and greater protections—not less.
• What is dismantling the Department of Education really about? It’s about selling off our public schools to corporations and private equity companies so schools can be run to make a profit instead of to educate our kids. It’s about the destruction of our public schools.
• Eliminating the Department of Education shifts financial burden to families, who may need to pay for expensive aides and specialized education out-of-pocket. Preventing low-income children from receiving adequate education and putting additional stress on families and their communities.
• Right now, we must come together not just to stop Donald Trump, but to build a brighter future. By uniting across our differences and taking action, we can protect our freedoms and fight for lower costs, safer communities, and stronger schools – so that every family can thrive.

Ohio Focus: Messaging Guidance

• Without federal funding for public education, Ohio would lose: $1.4B
• According to Endunomics Labs at Georgetown University, 17% of Ohio children have a disability but the share of special education funding they receive is the smallest in the country (8.1%). As a result, Ohio is ranked dead last at 50th on our special education staff to special education student ratio. Meaning, without federal oversight, Ohio students with disabilities have the most to lose with the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.

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Resources

• Voters Oppose Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education
• Education: A Guide for Advocates
• DOE Research

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UPDATES

• Education Secretary Linda McMahon affirmed that mass layoffs are the first step toward shuttering the Education Department, a longtime goal of President Trump’s since his time on the campaign trail. The department terminated almost half of its workforce — some 1,315 staffers — and will now only have about 2,183 employees left.

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Trump’s Plan To End The U.S. Department of Education: Ohio Impact

• Trump’s order will disproportionately affect our most vulnerable students in Ohio. Leaving 815,000 low-income and 270,000 students with disabilities in Ohio without the support they need to succeed.
• According to Endonomics Labs at Georgetown University, 17% of Ohio children have a disability but the share of special education funding they receive is the smallest in the country (8.1%). As a result, Ohio is ranked dead last at 50th on our special education staff to special education student ratio. Meaning, Ohio students with disabilities have the most to lose with the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. 
• Project 2025 eliminates the U.S. Department of Education, including Title I, which provides funds to ensure schools serving low-income students have additional resources to deliver a high-quality education beyond that which can be supported by local property tax revenue. Ending Title I would lead to the loss of 6,819 teaching positions, which serve 111,827 students, in Ohio.
• How dismantling the U.S. Department of Education would affect Ohio school districts

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Linda McMahon

• Top Three Reasons Linda McMahon Should Not Be Secretary of Education
• What to know about Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary
• At McMahon’s confirmation hearing, it was the Education Department on trial
• 5 things to know about Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education secretary

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Content: The Dangers of Trump’s Plan to Eliminate the Department of Education

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Act Now!

• Contact your congressmembers and let them know you support the U.S. Department of Education and the federal protections it brings for Ohio children. 
• Protect our children’s futures! The proposed elimination of the Department of Education would devastate millions of families—cutting critical services for students with disabilities, increasing inequities, and rolling back legal protections. We can’t let this happen. Join us in demanding Congress stand up for equal education for all students. Together, we can ensure every child has the chance to succeed. Sign the petition now.

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Navigator DO’s and DONT’s

UPDATE: Trump orders 90-day pause on new tariffs except for China.

Updated 4.1.2025

Summary: Trump’s reckless tariff policies threaten Ohio workers, businesses, and consumers by driving up costs, killing jobs, and destabilizing the economy. This toolkit breaks down the real impact of his tariffs, including higher prices on everyday goods, harm to small businesses, and risks to key industries like manufacturing and agriculture.

This document contains messaging guidance, content, and key talking points to help you push back against misinformation and advocate for fair economic policies that put people first.

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Guidance (Navigator)

• Reinforce Americans’ top concern, and a belief Americans already hold: These tariffs will increase costs on everything we buy. 

• Forcefully reject the framing from supporters of tariffs that this is about creating leverage over other countries. If tariffs are framed as an increase in the price of everyday items, the public opposes it (-28). If the same policy is allowed to be described as a way to force other countries into better negotiation, the public can support (+40). 

• Don’t let them win on manufacturing. While Americans rightly believe tariffs will hurt jobs and businesses, they do believe it could help spur manufacturing—so we have to make clear that it won’t. 

Messaging Examples

• These tariffs will increase costs on everything we buy. 
• Trump’s not doing what the American people elected him to do. Trump ran on making life more affordable, but his tariffs are doing the opposite – raising prices on everything from food to clothing to household goods. Families already struggle to make ends meet, and these tariffs are a national sales tax that will make it harder for working Americans to support their families. This wasn’t what millions of people voted for.
• Trump’s new tariffs will push prices higher on everyday goods. Middle and working-class Americans are already feeling the pinch — paying more for essentials like groceries, clothes, and electronics, just to support their families. This isn’t a tax on other countries: it’s a tax on the American people.
• Trump’s tariff policies will cause significant price increases. Economists project 15-20% increases across thousands of everyday items – when American families already struggle to make ends meet. Even Republicans in Congress warn these increases will be substantial and painful for American consumers.
• Donald Trump’s new tariffs are a hidden tax that will make everything more expensive for American families – from groceries and clothes to appliances and cars. Every time you check out at the store or shop online, you’ll be paying more. And what are Republicans doing while Trump jacks up our costs? Nothing. They’re too afraid of Trump to fight for us and get costs under control.
• Donald Trump’s new tariffs are a hidden tax that will make everything more expensive for American families – from groceries and clothes to appliances and cars. Trump and the MAGA Republicans’ priorities are all wrong. Instead of lowering costs, they’re jacking up prices and letting Elon Musk cut our healthcare, all while trying to give the wealthy and big corporations more tax breaks. We’re already dealing with high prices – the last thing we need is MAGA Republicans and billionaires making everything worse.
• American families are already struggling with high costs, and Trump’s tariffs will make it worse—raising prices on groceries, gas, clothes, and everyday essentials. Tariffs aren’t a strategy; they’re a tax on Americans. Instead of lowering costs, Trump is making life more expensive for all of us.
• Trump wants you to believe tariffs punish other countries, but the truth is, American consumers and businesses pay the price. Every trip to the store, every gas fill-up, every online order—you’ll feel the cost of Trump’s tariffs.
• Tariffs are just another tax on working people, driving up costs while Trump pretends it’s part of a plan. We’ve seen this before—his last trade war hurt farmers, businesses, and jobs. Now, he’s doubling down on failure, and American families will pay the price.
• Instead of lowering costs like he promised, Trump is forcing working families and small businesses to pay more—while giving us nothing in return. We can’t afford another round of his failed policies.
• This isn’t “America First”—it’s American workers, farmers, and small businesses losing out while Trump plays politics. We can’t afford his costly mistakes again.

Ohio Focus

• Trump’s tariffs increase costs on everything we buy in Ohio. 
• Trump’s tariffs hurt Ohio’s manufacturing exports and our relationship with foreign trade partners. Unnecessary trade wars will increase our cost to sell and buy everyday goods.
• Ohioans’ are already starting to feel the effects of Trump’s tariffs.
• Trump wants you to believe his tariffs punish other countries, but the truth is, American consumers and businesses pay the price. Every trip to the store, every gas fill-up, every online order—you’ll feel the cost of Trump’s tariffs.
• The alternative: instead of increasing costs for Ohio working families, Trump’s government should be focused on ensuring billionaires are paying their fair share.

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Economic Burden of Trump’s Tariffs

• Trump Tariffs: Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War
• Why Trump’s Tariff Proposals Would Harm Working Americans
• Analysis: The potential economic effects of Trump’s tariffs and trade war, in 9 charts
• Here’s how Trump’s tariffs could impact you and your wallet

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What Do Tariffs Mean for Ohio?

• Canada has already enacted their own 25% tariff on American goods, which is set to hurt Ohio the most. Ohio has benefited from a robust trade relationship with Canada and a tariff battle endangers our economy. University of Calgary Professor Trevor Trombe conducted an initial analysis of U.S. states that export to Canada. He concluded that Ohio is now set to lose $3B in the initial retaliation tariff. 
• Ohio exports $21.4 billion in goods to Canada annually, supporting thousands of local jobs. Key exports include motor vehicle parts ($2.0 billion), engines and turbines ($1.9 billion), and automobiles ($1.5 billion). Disruptions to this trade could have severe consequences for our economy and working families. 
• Read the full report here.

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Current Tariff UPDATES

• NEW: President Donald Trump said he will announce that the United States will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico, as well as other import duties later in the week.
• NEW: China’s retaliatory tariffs went into effect Feb. 10 and Ohio is set to be one of the most impacted states in the nation.
• The tariffs planned by U.S. President Donald Trump have been paused for at least a month, after an agreement was reached with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The pause does not include the tariffs against China, which are still set to be implemented on Tuesday.

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Content

• The Danger of Trump’s Tariffs (Content)

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Navigator Messaging DO’s and DONT’s

Research